Patent application title: Method and device for cooking foodstuffs

Abstract:

The disclosed invention relates a device for lacerating selected portions
of link type foodstuffs such as frankfurters, sausage, pepperoni and the
like. The device employs a cutter that has a set of cutting elements to
form a desired pattern of lacerations on the surface of the foodstuff.
The spacing of the cutting elements of the cutter, the depth of those
elements, as well as the mass of the cutter may vary over a wide range.
Typically, the pattern of cutting elements is configured to form
polygonal type spacings between intersecting cutting elements. The
pattern of elements, however, may be varied to form a broad range of
spacings such as rectangles, pentagons, hexagons, triangles and the like
between the elements.

Claims:

1. A device for lacerating elongated cylindrical foodstuffs comprising,the
base member having a plurality of first elements 5 and a plurality of
second elements 10 that intersect elements 5,wherein elements 5 and
elements 10 are attached to base 20 at an attachment angle between the
cutting elements and the base 20 of about 66.degree. to about 90.degree..

2. The device of claim 1 wherein elements 5 have a depth that is about
equal to the depth of elements 10, and elements 5 a width that is about
equal to the width of elements 10.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein elements 5 have a depth that varies from
about 100% to about 125% of the depth of elements 10.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein elements 5 have a width that varies from
about 100% to about 125% of the width of elements 10.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein elements 5 and elements 10 intersect at
an angle α of about 85.degree. to about 90.degree. relative to each
other.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein one or both of elements 5 or elements 10
has a thickness at the base thereof that is about 100% wider than at the
cutting edge of the element.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein the cutter 1 has a curved base 20 and is
mounted on a curved surface of an elongated cylindrical rolling member.

Description:

[0002]The present invention relates to devices and methods for cooking of
foodstuffs, especially to devices and methods for cooking of link type
foodstuffs such as hot dogs and sausages.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003]Numerous devices have been proposed for the cutting and/or
lacerating of frankfurters. Such devices have used stationary, movable or
rotating cutting blades. It is known that a frankfurter can be cooked
more quickly if the skin or outer casing is cut or punctured prior to
being placed upon a grill or other cooking surface. Various attempts have
been made to cut or puncture the skin of a frankfurter but because of its
shape, it is difficult to hold on a cutting block while attempting to cut
or puncture the skin.

[0004]In the field of meat cutlery, cutting tools have been adapted to
process a variety of meat products. For example, meat processors often
employ cutting tools to slice cylindrical shaped meat products (e.g.,
hotdog). Additionally, more advanced cutting tools allow for controlled
slicing in order to achieve a superficial incision about the surface of
the meat product.

[0005]It is desirable to provide an apparatus for partially cutting
tubular food products, more particularly hot dogs, sausages and similar
food products, encased in cellophane or other membrane type holder.
Although the deices of the art have been able to score link type
foodstuffs such as hot dogs and the like, those devices tend to suffer
disadvantages such as inability to uniformly score the food stuff. A
continuing need therefore exists for a method and apparatus for scoring
of elongated foodstuffs.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006]FIG. 1 is top view of a cutter of the invention;

[0007]FIG. 1A is a cross sectional view of cutter of FIG. 1 taken on line
A-A.

[0008]FIG. 2 shows the attractive appearance achieved in hot dogs after
having been lacerated with cutter 1 and cooked.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009]The present invention provides a new and unique device for the
cutting and scoring of foodstuffs such as frankfurters. Generally, the
invention entails a device for lacerating selected portions of link type
foodstuffs such as frankfurters, sausage, pepperoni and the like. The
device employs a cutter that has a set of cutting elements to form a
desired pattern of lacerations on the surface of the foodstuff. The
spacing of the cutting elements of the cutter, the depth of those
elements, as well as the mass of the cutter may vary over a wide range.
Typically, the pattern of cutting elements is configured to form
polygonal type spacings between intersecting cutting elements. The
pattern of elements, however, may be varied to form a broad range of
spacings such as rectangles, pentagons, hexagons, triangles and the like
between the elements.

[0010]The device for lacerating elongated cylindrical foodstuffs includes
a base 20 having a plurality of first elements 5 and a plurality of
second elements 10 that intersect elements 5 wherein elements 5 and
elements 10 are attached to base 20 at an attachment angle between the
cutting elements and the base 20 of about 66° to about 90°.
Elements 5 have a depth that is about equal to the depth of elements 10,
and elements 5 have a width that is about equal to the width of elements
10. Elements 5 also have a depth that varies from about 100% to about
125% of the depth of elements 10 and a width that varies from about 100%
to about 125% of the width of elements 10. Elements 5 and elements 10 may
intersect at an angle a of about 85° to about 90° relative
to each other. One or both of elements 5 or elements 10 has a thickness
at the base thereof that is about 100% wider than at the cutting edge of
the element. Cutter 1 may have a curved base 20 and may be mounted on a
curved surface of an elongated cylindrical rolling member.

[0011]Having summarized the invention, the invention is described in
detail by reference the following detailed description.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012]Referring to the drawings, cutter 1 includes first cutting elements
5 and second, intersecting cutting elements 10 and base 20. Base 20 may
be flat or curved. Cutter 1 may be equipped with a handle to facilitate
manual application of pressure to cutter 1 during the laceration of
foodstuffs such as hot dogs.

[0013]Cutter 1 such as shown in FIG. 1 may be formed by methods such as
machining of elements 5 and 10 from a metal block such as brass,
stainless steel, carbides such as TiC, metal alloys such as Endurium and
the like. Cutter 1 having elements 5 and 10 also may be made by casting
as well as by assembling a set of intersecting blades in a frame.
Preferably, elements 5 and 10 project from base 20 at an angle of about
90° to base 20 to about 85° to base 20, preferably about
85° to about 90° relative to base 20.

[0014]As shown in FIG. 1, elements 5 and 10 intersect to form spacings 30
between elements 5 and 10. Spacings 30 may be have a wide variety of
configurations such as polygons such as squares, rectangles, pentagons,
hexagon and the like, as well as shapes such as circles, ovals and the
like. Preferably, spacings 30 are in the form of polygons such as squares
or rectangles. Adjacent spacings 30 may be the same or different.

[0015]The pattern of intersecting elements on the cutter grid may vary to
generate a wide variety of laceration patterns on the foodstuff. These
patterns may be in the form of grids, spirals, cylindrical lacerations
that encircle the circumference of the foodstuff, straight lines along
the length of the foodstuff, and the like. The depth of lacerations may
vary with the type of foodstuff that is being lacerated. The lacerations
may be uniformly or non-uniformly distributed over the surface area of
the foodstuff. Preferably, the lacerations are uniformly distributed.

[0016]When elements 5 and intersecting elements 10 intersect to form
square shaped spacings as shown in FIG. 1, the size of the spacings may
vary. Typically, square spacings have a size of about 0.166 inches to
about 0.25 inches on a side, preferably about 0.125 inches on a side.

[0017]Elements 5 and elements 10 may intersect at any desired angle a
relative to each other. Typical angles of intersection of elements 5 and
elements 10 may vary from about 90° to about 120° relative
to each other. The depths and widths of each of elements 5 and 10 may
vary over a wide range relative to each other. The depth and width of
elements 5 may be the same or different as the depth and width of
elements 10.

[0018]Elements 5 typically have about the same depth as elements 10, and
elements 5 also may have about the same width as elements 10. Typically,
elements 5 have a depth of about 0.125 inches to about 0.25 inches,
preferably about 0.166 inches to about 0.25 inches, more preferably about
0.125 inches. Intersecting elements 10 typically have a depth of about
0.125 inches to about 0.25 inches, preferably about 0.166 inches to about
0.25 inches, more preferably about 0.125 inches.

[0019]Elements 5 may have a depth that varies from about 100% to about
125% of the depth of elements 10, preferably about 100% to about 110% of
the depth of elements 10, most preferably about 100% of the depth of
elements 10.

[0020]Elements 5 may have a width that varies from about 100% to about
125% of the width of elements 10, preferably about 100% to about 110% of
the width of elements 10, most preferably about 100% of the width of
elements 10.

[0021]Elements 5 and 10 may vary in width from the cutting surface of the
elements to the base of the elements on base 20. Typically, the elements
may have a width at the based portion that is up to about 66% of the
width of the cutting surface of the elements.

[0022]Cutter 1 may be impressed onto the foodstuff in a wide variety of
ways. Cutter 1 may be manually impressed onto the foodstuff. Cutter 1 may
also be mounted on the surface of a curved member such as a cylindrical
roller for impression onto a foodstuff such as a hotdog such as where the
hotdog is on an endless belt and the hotdog passes underneath the roller
surface. Alternatively, the hotdogs may be passed through opposing
rollers that bear cutter 1. In one aspect, cutter 1 such as shown for
example in FIG. 1 may be employed in a machine such as that shown in U.S.
Pat. No. 2,615,196, the teachings of which are incorporated by reference
by their entirety herein.

[0023]Lacerating of a link type foodstuff such as a hot dog with cutter 1
enables the foodstuff to be cooked by methods such as deep frying, pan
frying, microwaving, broiling and boiling very quickly and with enhanced
taste. The lacerations provided by cutter 1 enable the foodstuff, after
cooking, to have a set of striations that correspond from the lacerations
formed in the foodstuff by the cutting device. The cooked foodstuff such
as a hotdog, moreover, has an attractive appearance such as is shown in
FIG. 2.

[0024]In use, cutter 1 is compressed onto a foodstuff such as a link type
foodstuff such as a sausage or a hot dog to lacerate all or a portion of
the foodstuff to a desired depth. Foodstuffs especially suitable for
treatment with cutter 1 have a ratio of length to diameter of about 5.75
to about 1. Typically, a link type foodstuff such as a hot dog is pierced
to a depth of about 0.125 to about 0.25 inches, preferably about 0.166 to
about 0.25 inches, more preferably about 0.166 to about 0.25 inches.

[0025]Where link sausages are lacerated, the depth of lacerations may vary
from about 3 mm to about 5 mm, preferably about 4 millimeter to about 5
millimeter. The lacerations may cover about 80 percent to about 90% of
the surface area of the foodstuff, preferably about 85% to about 90% of
the surface area of the sausage. Sausages that are lacerated in this way
may be cooked by microwave in about 170 seconds to about 185 seconds, by
boiling water in about 480 seconds to about 600 seconds, by oil at about
350 degrees Fahrenheit to about 375 degrees Fahrenheit in about 55
seconds to about 65 seconds, and by grilling in about 150 seconds to
about 170 seconds. When the foodstuff is a hotdog, the area of coverage
of lacerations may cover upto about 80% to upto about 90% of the surface
area of the hotdog, preferably about 80% to about 90%, more preferably
about 85% to about 90%. The depth of the lacerations may vary from about
3 mm to about 5 mm, preferably about 4 millimeter to about 5 millimeter.
Hot dogs that have lacerations of about this extent of coverage and of
about these depths may be cooked by microwave in about 40 seconds to
about 60 seconds, by boiling water in about 60 seconds to about 70
seconds, by oil at a temperature of about 355 degrees Fahrenheit to about
370 degrees Fahrenheit in about 55 seconds to about 80 seconds and by
grilling in about 150 seconds to about 170 seconds. Link type foodstuffs
such as hot dogs which have been lacerated to a depth of about 0.125
inches to about 0.166 inches may be deep fried in oils such as vegetable
oil, peanut oil and canola oil, preferably peanut oil over a temperature
range of about 350 F to about 375 F, preferably about 360 F to about 375
F, for a time period of about 60 sec to about 75 sec, preferably about 70
sec.

[0026]Link type foodstuffs such as hot dogs which have been lacerated to a
depth of about 0.166 inches to about 0.25 inches may be pan fried in oils
such as vegetable oil, peanut oil and canola oil, preferably peanut oil
over a temperature range of about 350 F to about 375 F, preferably about
360 F to about 375 F for a time period of about 75 sec to about 120 sec,
preferably about 120 sec.

[0027]Link type foodstuffs such as hot dogs which have been lacerated to a
depth of about 0.125 inches to about 0.25 inches may be broiled for a
time period of about 180 sec to about 195 sec under constant rotation,
preferably about 195 sec.

[0028]Link type foodstuffs such as hot dogs which have been lacerated to a
depth of about 0.125 inches to about 0.25 inches may be boiled in water
for a time period of about 240 sec to about 270 sec, preferably about 270
sec.